Sand-guard for irrigation-ditches



E. DRINGMAN.

- SAND GUARD FOR IRRIGATION DITC HES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3. 1917.

Patented Aug. 3 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

I EINVENTOR Drag 977ml;

ATTO R N EY E. DRINGMAN.

SAND GUARD FOR IRRIGATION DITCHES.

APPLICATIQN FILED MAY 3, 1917.

I, 348, 554. Patented Aug. 3, 1920,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIIIII I r I l ll gg l i I WITNESSES JP I fl (W/(L1H I ATTORNEY are.

ERZN'EST DRINGMAN, 0F PAXTON, NEBRASKA.

SAND-GUARD FUR IRRIGATION-BITCHES.

neeassr.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

Application filed May 3, 1917. 7 Serial No. 166,195.

with which the ditch communicates, and also.

will avoid the accumulation of sand in front of the head gate for the ditch, whereby a free and fullflow of water through the ditch during the irrigation period or season is obtained.

In the accompanying drawing 1 have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, in which: 3

Figure 1' is a longitudinal section taken through the river or stream immediately in front of the head gate on the .line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view across the stream on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. 1

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the structure embodying the invention. a

In irrigation systems, a river or stream 1 furnishes water for a ditch 2 which communicates therewith and is arranged at an angle relatively thereto. At the point where the ditch communicates with. I the stream or river, a head gate 3 having check boards 4: arranged therein inthe usualmanner to control the quantity. of water entering the ditch, and a floor 5 arranged sub.- stantially in alinement with the bottom 5 of the stream or river is provided.

Along the bank of the river, both above and below the head gate 3 and beneaththe head gate, is placedsheet piling 6 for preventing the current from tearingaway the dirtaround the head gate, and for the purpose of providing a foundation for the head gate itself.

As shown in Fig. 2, a vertical wall 7 projects downwardly below the floor 5 and is buried in the bed 8 of the river and extends from one end of the head gate to the other. The upper stratumof the bed 8 comprises loose sand and water which is easily washed into the ditch and which it is my purpose to keep out. For attaining this result, a shelf or platform constituting a sand guard 10 is fixed to the wall 7 in front of the head gate and projects outwardly toward the center of the river or stream. At the upstream end-11 of the head gate, the guard 10 is substantially at the same level with the floor 5 of the head gate'and with the bottom 5 of the river or stream. From this point the guard 10 inclines downwardly toward the down-stream end 12 of the head gate, andis arranged somewhat below the floor 5 of the head gate and bottom 5 of the river at the lower end thereof. Itshould be noticed that the guard 10 is arranged in front of the head gate and extends from one end thereof to the other and is buried in the bed of the stream at its lower end. I

Arranged below the guard 10 and spaced therefrom is a horizontally extending apron 13, which is buried within the bed 8 of the river several feet below the bottom 5'* thereof. The apron 18 also extends the full length of the head gate and is arranged substantially parallel with the floor thereof. The guard 10 and apron 13 provide therebetween a channel 14: restricted at its lower end through which the loose sand and water, which forms the upper stratum of the bed, drifts or is directed. The sand guard prevents the sand from drifting through the head gate into the ditch and also directs it away from the gate at the lower end thereofand in a direction down stream. 7 I

Extending transversely of the stream at the down-stream end of the head gate is the usual dam or weir 15, which is supported by a row of sheet piling 16eXtending transversely ofthe stream and embedded inthe bottom thereof. As shown in Fig. 2, the weir is provided at'its upper portions with check boards 17 to regulate the flow of water therethrough. The p0rtion18 of the weir adjacent the lower end of the sand guard is built into the bed of the river, and

is provided with a base or floor 20 extending substantially transversely of the stream and in alinement or at the same level with the apron 13, as shown inv Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the portion of the weir remote from the head gate and sand guard is provided with a floor or base 2O which rests directly upon the bottom of the stream and at a higher level than the floor or base 20. The framework of the portion 18 of the weir, however, provides a passage 21 through which the drifting sand escapes when directed by the apron and sand guard, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. For this purpose, it should be noticed that the check boards 17 of the portion 18 of the weir are located entirely above the sand guard, so that the sand within the channel 1* has an open avenue of escape with the current. 7

From an inspection of Fig. 2, it will be seen that the apron 13 isconsiderably wider than the sand guard and projects farther into the stream. Both the apron and sand guard, however, extend from one end of the head gate to the other, while the sand guard inclines downwardly toward the down-stream end thereof and toward the apron. The channel 14 which is restricted at the down-stream end thereof causes the current to carry the sand away from the front ofthe head gate, and through the passage 21 of the weir, so that no deposits of sand will form in front of the head gate or drift into the ditch, filling up the same and preventing the free flow of water therein.

The action of the dam or weir 15 is to divert a portion of the water flowing downstream into the ditch or lateral 2, and this diverted part of the stream would, if provision were not made to prevent it, carry more or less sand into the lateral 2, since there is a tendency to an upflow of the water, carrying sand with it, into the lateral. The sand guard, however, prevents this, since it extends the full length of the head gate and is over the apron 13, so that a current is produced between the sand guard and the apron discharging through the opening at the downstream end of the channel 14. Because of the lesser height of the downstream end of the channel 14, there is a tendency to accelerate the flow, and the mobile water-charged sand is carried through the opening in the weir, while any sand which may reach the top of the sand guard is carried through the opening 21.

Even if the depth of the sandis consid erably less than thatindicated in Figs. 1 and 2, there would still be a tendency of producing an uplift or suction on the sand by the water flowing throughthe head gate into the lateral, which suction is entirely obviated or counteracted by the sand guard 10, so that the lateral is kept free from sand. j i

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be un derstood that I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction herein shown and described, for obvious modifications will be apparent to anyone skilled in the art.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with the head gate of an irrigation ditch, of, a sand guard consisting of an inclined shelf or platform arrangedin front of the head gate and extend ing from one end thereof to the other, said guard having its high end up stream and arranged substantially on thelevel with the Floor or bottom of the head gate.

2. The combination with a head gate controllingthe water supply from a stream to a ditch, of'a sand guard extending lengthwise of the stream and arranged in frontof the head gate at the bottom thereof and projecting from said head gate toward the mid die of the stream.

3. The combination with a head gate for an irrigation ditch, of a guard fitted to said head gate and projecting into a supply stream, said guard being arranged at the lip-stream end thereof substantially at the same level as the bottom of the ditch and at the clown-stream end thereof lower than the bottom of the ditch.

4. 'The combination with a head gate c011- trolling the water supply from a stream to a ditch, of a guard arran'gedin front of said head gate at the bottom of the-latter and projecting toward the middle of the stream, and an apron spaced below said guard.

5. The combination with a head gatev having a floor and separating a ditch from a supply stream, of a guard projecting from said head gate into the stream and arranged at the upstream end thereof in substantial alinement with the floor and bottom of the ditch and at the down-stream end thereof below the level of the floor and an apron spaced below said guard,

6. The combination with a head gate controlling the water supply from a stream to a ditch, of a guard projecting toward the middle of the stream and fixed to the front of the head gate at the lower portion thereof, and an apron spaced below said guard, said guard and apron converging toward each other at their down-stream ends. V

7. The combination with a head gate controlling the water supply from astream to a ditch, of a guardprojecting from said head gate into the stream and arranged at the up-stream end thereof in substantial alinement with the bottom of the head gate and ditch and at the downstream end thereof an apron below the bottom of the ditch, spaced below said guard, and projecting outwardly from the front of said head gate, said guard and apron converging toward each other at their down-stream ends and extending from one end of said head gate to the other, and a'weir extending transversely of the stream below the head gate and provided with an unobstructed passage therethrough below and adjacent to the down-stream ends of the guard and apron, whereby drifting sand is directed through the passage away from the head gate by the guard and apron.

8. The combination with a head gate controlling the water supply from a stream to a ditch, of a guard projecting toward the middle of the stream and fixed to the front of the head gate at the lower portion thereof, an apron spaced below said guard and of a width greater than said guard, said apron and guard converging toward each other at their down-stream ends, and a weir extending transversely of the stream and below the head gate and provided with an unobstructed passage therethrough below? and adjacent to the down-stream ends of the guard and apron, whereby drifting sand is 9. The combination with a head gate controlling the water supply from a stream to a ditch, of a sandguard arranged longitudinally in the stream in front of the head gate at the bottom thereof and projecting toward the middle of the stream, and an apron spaced below and of a width greater than said guard, the apron and guard converging toward each other at their down stream ends.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto ailixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST DRINGMAN.

Witnesses:

O. M. GUNNELL, J. C. Cox. 

